The Southland Vintage Car Club formed in 1954 and later became the Southland Branch of V.C.C.N.Z. We are one of the strongest branches in New Zealand with a membership approaching 400.
We are proud of our substantial clubrooms, library and parts shed at 46 Ariki Avenue, Otatara (on the outskirts of Invercargill); we provide facilities for meetings and social events and a centre for the many rallies and public displays during the year.
The Club’s origins can be traced back to the public awakening of the need to preserve some of the early means of motorised transport. Spurred on by the 1950’s movie ‘Genevieve’ small bands of enthusiasts began to comb the Southland countryside for abandoned cars and motorcycles to restore. A number of unique vehicles representing a slice of Southland’s history owe their preservation to those early members.
The Southland Vintage Car Club was not the first of its kind in New Zealand, but followed the formation of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (VCCNZ) in 1946 in Canterbury and its three branches: Otago, Auckland & Wanganui.
The first meeting of 37 interested people was held at the ‘Red Cherry’ tea rooms (above the Regent Theatre) in Dee Street, Invercargill on 20th December 1954. Originally meetings were held every two months, interestingly it was later decided to hold meetings on the last Thursday of the month, a practice still operating today.
In Invercargill, and even in the smaller centres, there existed a core of engineers, blacksmiths and coach builders well able to make the transition from bicycle & horse, to horse power.
The club’s very first run was on the 29th of May 1955; twelve cars chugged, snorted or roared on an eight mile journey from Invercargill to Branxholme where field tests were held on the property of Lex Young (the venue for the first ever run held by the Southland Motor Association in 1908).
By the AGM on 27 October 1955, 100 members had joined with 60 cars between them (in the era 1903-1928). The club was awarded with 30 car spaces being offered in the Centennial parade on 17 January 1956.
The Red Cherry, AA rooms (in Kelvin St) and the Lindsay brothers crib ‘Bushy Park’ in Ariki Ave, Otatara served for general meetings right through to September 1966.
Since 1958 the suggestion that the club have its own ‘home’ had been raised, including taking out shares in the Southland Building Society, with the proceeds going to a ‘building fund’.
A special executive meeting was called on 6 February 1964 after Mr JR Lindsay discovered that the ¾ acre section opposite his ‘Bushy Park’ crib was for sale. It consisted of a dilapidated house and a shed (which was earmarked for the storage of car parts which at the time had been stored in Waikiwi), some native trees and a large area of open space. Various meetings ensued; with the final purchase agreement was signed on 24 March 1964 for £600.
Fundraising moved into another gear (rallies, debentures, raffles, auctions, grants etc.), the mortgage was quickly discharged in November 1965!
In 1966 it was resolved to renovate the existing dwelling sufficiently to be used as club meeting rooms, with a view ‘to building new rooms in 3-5 years’. The club rooms were officially opened on 27 October 1966.
The erection of the club rooms as they are today took a lot longer to come to fruition, along the way (April 1969) our 1923 Chalmers Fire Engine was purchased (by tender) from the Wallace County Council for $101 – this necessitated a place to store it. Priorities were shifted to the erection of a 60 x 20 foot shed; building commenced in August 1968.
By 1972 the size of the clubs property portfolio had increased to 1 ½ acres when the purchase of the neighbouring section (cnr. Ariki Ave & Rakiura Pde) took place.
The last meeting at the old clubrooms took place on 28 February 1974; meetings were temporarily held at the Whitehouse hotel (till September 1974) while construction of the new clubrooms took place. The official opening of our current clubrooms took place on 23 November 1974, the club patron Mr I D McIvor M.B.E. cut the ribbon, followed by a special run and cabaret that evening.
Extensions to both the clubrooms (addition of the library & conservatory, plus upgrades to the bar, kitchen and toilets) and parts shed took place in the years following.
In 2014 we again increased our portfolio by purchasing the residential property to our north (44 Ariki Ave); until plans are implemented to develop this site the dwelling is being rented out.
Since 1957 ‘simmering’ in the background was the recovery of parts from a 1907 Model LS 40hp 4 cylinder Darracq which was the service vehicle, travelling from Lumsden – Manapouri – Te Anau; this operated from 1910 & is one of only three survivors of this model in the world. Restoration finally began in 1990, culminating in its first public outing in November 1993.
We are indebted to the founding members of our club; without their boundless enthusiasm, can do attitude and risk taking we would not have the magnificent facility we enjoy today.
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